Match-box.



No. 825,987. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. A. F. THOMPSON.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6. 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATCH-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application filed April 6, 1906- Serial No. 310,384-

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS F. THoMP- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Huntington, county of Cabell, State of \VestVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMatch-Boxes, of which the following is a full and clear specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of the complete box; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional viewthereof; Fig. 3, a similar view showing the manner of ejecting a match;Fig. 4., a longitudinal sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 andFig. 5, a horizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivepocket match-box so constructed and arranged that it may be readilyoperated to deliver or eject a single match at a time, as more fullyhereinafter set forth.

T o the accomplishment of this object and such others as may hereinafterappear, the invention consists of the arts and combina tion of partshereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which the same reference characters designatelike parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings annexed by ref erence characters, A designatesthe larger or exterior casing, which is closed at its bottom and open atits top and which may have any desired shape in crosssection, an ovalshape, as shown, being the most desirable. The inner casing B is adaptedto telescope nicely within said case A and, like case A, is closed atits bottom. The top of the casing B is closed by a cap C, which may behinged to the case B or may be removably fitted over the rim'thereof inthe manner ofa cover or may be removably attached in any other manner inorder that the casing may be filled with matches at will. The top faceof the cover is preferably provided with a roughened match-scratchingsurface 0 and at one end is provided with a delivery-hole c. Alongitudinal slot 1) is formed in the match-receiver at its lower end,this slot being on the same side of the casing as the hole 0. The bottomof the match-receiver at a point adjacent to the lower end of slot b isbent down slightly to form a lip b.

The match-receiver is normally pressed outward by meansof a spring D,which is confined in the space between the bottoms of the two casings.This s ring is formed at one end with an upwardly-inclined springarm d,which normally bears against the bottom of the match-receiver and tendsto force it outward. The main portion of the spring lies upon the bottomof the outer casing an its other end is bent at right angles to the mainpart and lies against the wall of the outer casing in longitudinalalinement with the slot b, so that when the match-holding casing isforced into the main casing against the action of spring-arm (i saidpart (1 will slide into said slot 1). An inward-turned lip 11 is formedon the upper end of the part (1, so as to extend through the slot 1) andengage over upon the 1i 1) and extend a distance about equal to t ethickness of a single match into the match-holder. The springframe D islocked at the bottom of the main casing by having its nose portion (isprung into an indentation a in the wall of the outer casing at a pointdiametrically opposite the vertical part cl.

It will be observed that to deliver a match through the hole 0 it issimply necessary to hold the device so that one of the matches willgravitate toward the side of the holder in line with the lip d and thehole 0. Then by simply pressing in the match-holder the match engaged bythe lip (1 will be delivered through the opening 0, and when thematchholder is allowed to resume its normal projected position anothermatch will fall into place, and so on until the holder is emptied, afterwhich it may be readily refilled by removing the cover C. In assemblingthe parts. it is simply necessary to first engage li d with lip b andthen spring the combine locking and actuating spring D into the maincasing and force it down by means of the holder until its nose (1 snapsinto the recess a, which permanently locks the two parts of the casingtogether and the actuating-spring in its proper position.

It will be observed that by my construction I provide an exceedinglysimple singledelivery pocket match-safe which is not liable to becomeinoperative from long usage and the parts of which may be inexpensivelymanufactured and readily assembled.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various mechanicalembodiments of the invention are possible, and I therefore do not wishto be limited to the exact arrangement and construction shown.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class set forth, a casing open at one end andhaving a recess in one Wall adjacent to its bottom, a matchholdingcasing telescoping therein and having a delivery-hole in its top and alongitudinal slot in its side Wall near its bottom, and a combinedlocking and actuating device consisting of a spring lying on the bottomof the casing and having one end formed into a spring-arm adapted tonormally project the match-holder and its other end bent to 'lie againstthe wall of the casing and work in the slot in the matchholder Wall, theupper end of this latter part being bent inward through the slot so asto engage the bottom of the match-holder, a part of said spring engagingin the aforesaid recess in the casing, for the purpose set forth.

l 2. The combination of a casing, a match- I holder telescopingthereinto, and provided I with a delivery-opening and an. opening forthe passage of the ejector, and a combined llocking and actuating andejecting device l secured between'the bottom of the casing j and thebottom of the match-holder, said de vice consisting of a unitarystructure interlocked with the casing and having two arms, one of whichbears against the bottom of the match-holder and normally tends to forcethe same outward and the other of which enters the match-holder andlimits its upward movement as well as serves as an ejector- In testimonywhereof I hereunto afliX my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses,

this 4th day of April, 1906.

A. F. THOMPSON.

W. E. l/VHEELER,

j l/Vitnesses: j D. F. APPLING.

